Residential architects in Los Angeles are experimenting with green design. Walter Scott Perry remodeled his 1950's tract house in the Hollywood Hills by reusing rather than replacing fittings and materials. He added solar panels and a sun screen, both purchased locally. With a rebate from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, his cost was around $12,000. David Hertz's home in Venice, Calif. — four buildings connected by bridges — has some roofs layered with photovoltaic cells and others engineered to generate hot water for washing and radiant heating.

A private client commissioned Mobius Design Group to design a luxury villa on the south coast of Larnaca, Cyprus, on a plot of 1,525 sq m situated on the water's edge. Mobius Design Group architect, Andreas Trisveis, travelled to Hong Kong in order to research for the design process. He explains: "I was interested to see and comprehend what is the latest direction in novel materials applied for the materialisation of today's architecture. Such advanced construction techniques would definitely aid me in realising the project."

The futuristic 912 sq m villa was inspired from a painting by Japanese artist Κatsushika Hokusai entitled 'The Great Wave' and Gustave Flaubert's phrase: "The sea is flat like a pavement of Lapis-Lazuli, ascended imperceptibly to the sky on the horizon..."

The unusual sculptural shapes of this luxurious villa are a reference to the lapping waves nearby. Constructed using stainless metal and glass, the roof canopy opens automatically depending on the external temperature. When completed, the entire residence will operate using automated hi-tech systems. Under the roof nestles a scenic roof garden, from which the owners can enjoy the beautiful vista ahead. Alongside a swimming pool, the roof garden boasts a bar, jacuzzi and yoga platform.

The interior space is based on 1960s Miami style. In the basement there is the spa area with views of the immersed garden. On the ground floor are located dining rooms, sitting rooms and living rooms, including an entertainment space with an office, billiard room and a specialised room for cigar storage. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and one executive suite that features an individual living room for the guests.

On the side of Aura facing the ocean a large swimming pool follows the undulating curves of the house seemingly blending in with the horizon, thus referring to Flaubert's inspirational phrase. This part will be constructed out of clear glass with the ability to completely open the villa to the elements.

Sterling Custom Homes, a builder of luxury homes in Austin, Texas, continues to introduce innovative features into its custom home.They design and build quality custom homes in many of Austin’s premier custom home communities, private gated communities and resort golf communities. The builder’s latest addition is a luxurious combination media and game room.

In previous years, game rooms were tucked away and usually more of a children’s play area. Sterling Custom Homes’ approach is to take the previously concealed game room and integrate it with a media room, making a beautiful highly stylized dual-purpose area for the entire family.

“We have created inviting and entertaining spaces that suit both adults and children,” said Duke McDowell, president of Sterling Custom Homes. “These highly customizable spaces can be used together or separately depending on the occasion.”

For home owners who still want a secluded media room experience, Sterling Custom Homes offers theater-style heavy curtains to divide the room and give the home owner the full cinematic feel. Push the curtains aside and the media room can be used to watch a sports game while playing a game of billiards, or open the room for entertaining a large number of guests.

The Bears Club, developed by the world’s greatest golfer, Jack Nicklaus, is now home to the world’s greatest basketball player, Michael Jordan. The Bears Club was just a huge empty piece of land for years with a few cows and a lot of barbed wire owned by John D. McArthur until it was sold to Jack Nicklaus who had a dream for his ultimate golf course community. JN later split the parcel in 2 and developed the 2nd parcel into the Ritz Carlton of Jupiter.

Michael Jordans New Home

The caddies at the Ritz, when asked the difference between the two clubs, respond that the “Ritz homeowners are all millionaires, but the Bears Homeowners are billionaires”. While that may not be universally true at the Bears Club, they do have more than their share of ultra wealthy members.

MJ’s choice of a 3-acre homesite at the Bears Club is not all that unpredictable. His desire for privacy will certainly be well-served there, as entry to the Bears Club is well guarded. His home has already been landscaped with a literal forest of trees, giving little or no glimpse of his mammoth 28,000 sq. ft. home, together with 3 separate structures; a guard house, guest house and pool house.

The Bears Club Golf Course Clubhouse

He paid $4.8m for the land and $7.6m for the construction, making this $12.4m mansion probably the most expensive non-waterfront home in the Palm Beaches. MJ’s total commitment when furnished will probably exceed $20m. Jordan’s house has 11 bedrooms, 6 on the 2nd floor alone, a 2-story guard house, an athletic wing together with basketball court and lavish workout facility. It’s rumored his huge media room with state-of-the-art electronics is ‘cigar friendly’.

The Bears Club is already being used extensively by MJ. His usual routine is to play golf from sunrise to sunset. His handicap varies from 3-7, dependent on the difficulty of the golf course and whether he is spraying his drives.

While MJ loves cigars and gambling, it’s rumored he’s tamed the latter in deference to Jack Nicklaus’ wishes to ‘tone it down’.

The Bears Club has 55 estate residences, with starter estate homes beginning at $4-5 million and the largest homes being priced just under $20m. Besides the estate residences, they have 3 other categories, Golf Villas, 14 Club Cottages, and 13 Vintage Estate Homes.

Jeff Lichtenstein has sold 400+ homes since 2001 in Jupiter, Jupiter Island, Palm Beach Gardens & Palm Beach, Florida - among the most expensive zipcodes in the US - home to the likes of Donald Trump, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Celine Dion & Bill Gates. Jeff can be contacted directly at 561-346-8383 or jeff@JeffRealty.com . His personal website showing all the happenings in the Palm Beaches is www.JeffRealty.com